Ajmer is famous for the tomb of Hazrat Mu'inuddin Chishti, the founder of the Chishti Sufi order, one of the
most important Sufi organizations in India and Pakistan. Sufi teachers were
important missionaries of Islam, through their piety, charisma, blessings, and
service. Muinuddin lived in Ajmer from 1190 until his death in 1232, and
the reverence in which he was held after his death can be seen in the patronage
his tomb attracted. The "crown" on the tomb's summit is made of solid
gold, and the open space in the foreground is a mosque built by the Moghul
emperor Shah Jahan. The pilgrims in the foreground are taking an
opportunity for private prayer.

This was taken in
Jan. 2003.

This shows one of the tomb's entrances, which are opened at set hours by the khadims
or hereditary caretakers. The image (and language) is of a royal
court (darbar) which the faithful can enter to ask for favors. The
central assumption is that the saint is still conscious and
attentive, and can confer blessings upon people, by acting as a
channel for God's grace.

The entrance is decorated with gold and enamel work, as well as
Belgian crystal chandeliers (lights and lamps have traditionally appeared at
Sufi tombs, perhaps to convey the image of the saint as illuminating people).
Clocks are another regular feature of mosques and Sufi tombs--in part to help
the faithful keep track of prayer times.

This was taken in
Jan. 2003.

This interior shot shows the tomb itself. It is covered with rose
petals, which are thrown by pilgrims as an offering with their prayers.
The railings around the tomb are both made of silver. Pilgrims stand
outside the outer railing, and the khadims (hereditary shrine keepers)
move in the space in between. The heaps of rose petals give off an
incredibly strong scent that fills the room, adding to the atmosphere.

The atmosphere outside the tomb is reverent (as is appropriate for such
a setting), but it is also full of activity. One of the common activities
is devotional singing by qawwals, whose songs often recount the deeds of
the saint, and the power of the shrine. This photo shows qawwals set
up directly outside the tomb, looking into one of the entrances (and thus
figuratively at the "gateway" to the shrine. The qawwals are there through
much of the day, and their singing enhances the devotional atmosphere.

As mentioned above, the shrine has enjoyed considerable patronage during its
history from different Muslim rulers. This decorative gate was ascribed by
a local source to Ala'uddin Khilji, who ruled the Delhi Sultanate between
1296-1315. Several other later rulers have built
gateways outside of this one, including one built by the Nizam of Hyderabad in
1911, which forms the present boundary between the street and the shrine
grounds.

This is a ceremonial tomb for Baba Farid, a famous Sufi who
was Khwaja Sahib's "spiritual grandson." Farid migrated to the Punjab, and
lived in Pakpattan in modern-day Pakistan; he was the teacher of Hazrat
Nizamuddin.